


moving & movies

by onefootinsea_andoneonshore



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, College, F/M, Fluff, Mileven, Moving In Together, One Shot, Star Wars References, the purest sweetest fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 15:43:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17563319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onefootinsea_andoneonshore/pseuds/onefootinsea_andoneonshore
Summary: two important, quiet moments from the early adult years of Mike and El's life together. Dialogue prompt: "You're everything to me."





	moving & movies

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to anna @dustinhendrsn on tumblr (i don't know ur ao3 lol) for sending in this prompt!! (sO sorry again that i didn't finish it til now)

The summer sun was unrelenting on Mike and El’s faces as they drove the three hours from Hawkins to Indianapolis, but their hands were intertwined for every spare minute of it, never-minding the boiling heat and the cardboard boxes poking their shoulders from the backseat.

Weeks of planning had gone into the move, from finding an apartment to El getting a job to Mike touring the campus of Indianapolis University before he started graduate school, but Mike felt as if it was only yesterday that he’d asked El to move in with him.

-o-

They’d been sitting on a couch in the living room of the Hopper/Byers household after a going-away party for Will, who was moving to Chicago with his boyfriend.

With his arm around her, Mike had a perfect view of El’s face, illuminated in the setting June sun. It made the frizz of her dark curly hair into a halo, and  _angelic_  was the only word he could think of that described it. They’d been talking about this and that before falling back into a comfortable silence, enjoying just being with each other. But now, her face was pinched in thought.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking... well, I have been thinking I... I want to move out. Of here, I mean. Maybe out of Hawkins.”

Mike stiffened, turning so that they were facing each other and bringing his arm out from around her shoulders. Her hands found his, both pairs shaking slightly.He’d been wanting to ask her for about a week and a half to move in with him, ever since he’d gotten his acceptance letter for the writing masters program at Indianapolis University. She didn’t know that though, he’d been planning to bring it up when he asked her, but this was unexpected.

“For real?” is all he can say, all he can say without saying everything at once.

“Yeah,” El said with a light laugh. “It’s so weird to think about, but yeah. I’m ready, finally. I want to see the world, or at least the world outside of Hawkins.” She glanced up at him though her eyelashes.

“Wow. That’s-thats great! That’s fantastic, actually!” Mike couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face as he reached into his back pocket. El’s eyes widened, until he brought out the letter that he’d been keeping with him.

“Mike...” she said with an edge of warning.

“I got this last week, and I’ve been trying to find the right time to tell you.” He unfolded the letter, which was worn from being in his pocket.

“Read it?” Mike handed it to her, too nervous to say anything else.

El took the paper from him, her stare wary. “Dear Mr. Wheeler, we would like to officially welcome you -“ she broke off, reading the next lines silently with increasingly widening eyes. “You got in?”

Mike couldn’t help but mirror her elated grin. “Yeah!” A laugh bubbled from his throat. “I got in, El!”

Now she was laughing, and throwing her arms around him. “Ohmygod Mike! You did it!” She was all but squealing with joy as Mike hugged her back. He was sure for a moment that he could never tire of holding her, before she pulled back and put her hands on his shoulders. At this point, they were facing each other, cross legged on the couch.

“Wait a second. What exactly does this have to do with me moving out?”

Mike stared down at his folded hands for a moment. “Well, I’m not going to be living on campus, I’m getting an apartment.” He finally met her eyes. “And I can’t imagine how any place I find would be home without you.”

El’s eyes watered. “Damn right,” she whispered, her smile so, so loving. Mike’s undergrad years had separated them, with El back in Hawkins, saving college for when she was ready.

“So...” Mike took a deep breath, “will you move to Indianapolis with me?”

With a laugh, El threw her arms around his neck. “Of course! Yes!” The force of the hug knocked Mike backwards, so that they were laying across the length of the couch. They couldn’t have cared less though, they were both laughing, with a few tears of joy spilling out as El peppered his face with kisses.

Other activities followed that, but Mike knew that dwelling on those would distract his driving.

They finally pulled up in front of their apartment building at around 2 pm, when the sun was at its hottest. They both sat in the car for a moment after parking.

“I feel like there’s a frying pan-fire analogy I could make right now,” El muttered, tilting her head back to rest against the car seat.

Mike laughed. “El Hopper, I love you with my whole heart, but we’re gonna have to unpack at some point today.”

With a sigh, El unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her car door. “If only one of us had, oh I don’t know,  _superpowers_  or something that could help us lift things, but  _noooo_.”

“You know darn well we can’t use those outside,” Mike said, also getting out of the car. His tone was joking, but his words were serious.

A magnetic-like force stilled his hand midair as he went to open the trunk.

“Use what, Michael?” El asked, batting her eyes. He could only shake his head and laugh.

-o-

Four hours later, the preliminary stages of packing were over. An air mattress was set up on the floor, the kitchen cabinets were organized, if sparsely, and their toothbrushes were in a cup in the bathroom. At the moment, Mike and El were sitting on the floor, up against the heavy boxes of books that they hadn’t put away yet, finishing the last of the burgers they’d ordered from a place down the street.

“Nonononono, Han and Leia definitely stayed together after the war ended.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, definitely.” El popped a fry into her mouth. “I mean, what brings people together like shared trauma?”

Mike furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you slyly trying to compare us to Han and Leia?”

“Maybe.” El scooted closer to Mike and laid her head on his shoulder. “I have to say, being a badass warrior-diplomat-space princess sounds pretty awesome.”

“Ah yes, and I’m the scoundrel smuggler, unworthy of the hand of the princess of Alderaan,” Mike said dramatically as he brought his arm around her.

“You are. Worthy, I mean. You know that, right?” El said quietly, looking up at him.

Mike looked back, and saw the worlds of caring in her eyes, and knew that he was one hundred percent okay with living with her for the rest of his life. “I love you.”

El smiled wryly. “I know.”

“How did I not see that coming?” Mike laughed. El laughed with him, until she silenced him with a kiss. She could never get tired of this feeling, this feeling of wholeness, of belonging.

Pulling back, she rested her head on his chest. “You’re everything to me, you wonderful nerd.”

Mike could’ve quipped back with a jab at her own nerdiness, but he stayed quiet. They fell asleep like that, not caring about how sore they’d be in the morning, just loving the feeling of being together.


End file.
